Section 03
107 MCH
Tues 12:30pm - 1:45pm
MAP 2480 - Biocalculus Computer Lab
Spring 2008 - Course Syllabus
Course Material Available on
BlackBoard (http://campus.fsu.edu)
Instructor and Lab Assistants
Instructor
Dr. Steve Bellenot
Office: 223 LOV
Office Hours: TBA
Phone: (850) 644-7405 (office); (850) 644-2202 (math dept. front desk)
Email: bellenot@math.fsu.edu
Webpage: www.math.fsu.edu/~bellenot/
Lab/Teaching Xin Cui
Office: TBA
Assistants
Email: xcui@math.fsu.edu
Phone: Use Email
Arij Daou
Office: TBA
Email: adaou@math.fsu.edu
Phone: Use Email
Course
Coordinator
Dr. Monica K. Hurdal
Office: 002-A LOV
Phone: (850) 644-7183 (office)
Email: mhurdal@math.fsu.edu Webpage: www.math.fsu.edu/~mhurdal/
Office Hours
Help sessions in the Lab will be announced in class and posted on BlackBoard.
Dr. Hurdal also has office hours on Tues & Thurs 3:00-4:00pm in her office (002-A
LOV). Please check the course web site for updates to these times. Alternatively,
meetings can be arranged by appointment with any of the above people.
Course Information
Eligibility / MAC 2311 (Calculus I) is a corequisite for this course. This means that you must be
Prerequisites taking MAC 2311 while taking this course or you must have passed MAC 2311 with a
grade of C- or better or received credit for courses equivalent to MAC 2311.
Text
Software
Availability
There is no text for this course. All materials will either be available in class or can be
downloaded from the course web page on BlackBoard. Your MAC 2311 (Calculus I)
textbook is required. It is recommended that you purchase a student version of Matlab
software from the University Bookstore so you can work on the lab material at home if
you wish. This software is something that you will be able to use in other courses and
the student price is very inexpensive as compared to the non-student price and is
comparable to the price of a textbook.
The software used in this course is called MatLab. MatLab is available the following
University Public Computer Labs: Oglesby Union Lab (202 OGC), the Carothers
Computer Lab (MCH 315) and the Strozier Library Basement Computer Lab (LIB).
Please click on FSU User Services for more information regarding the location and
availability of Public Labs.
MAP 2480 Syllabus – Spring 2008
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Course Information
Course
Objectives
This course is designed to introduce students to topics in computational and
mathematical biology. Problems in biology, medicine and physiology are used to
illustrate how computation and mathematics can improve and enhance the
understanding of these problems. The purpose of this course is:
- to improve student's use of technology and computers
- to introduce students to topics in computational and mathematical biology
- to use techniques from Calculus I to analyze and solve problems in biology
- to introduce students to the MatLab programming software
- to help students better understand the material taken in Calculus I and its applications
in biology.
Course
Content
This course consists of weekly laboratories that will be completed in class and
homework that will be due at the beginning of class. These laboratories will review
Calculus 1 material and apply calculus methods to problems in biology.
Grading
A lab report will be due for each lab. 70% of your grade comes from the lab reports,
with each report weighted equally. 20% of your grade comes from homework that
precede each of the labs, with each homework weighted equally. 10% of your grade
comes from class attendance and participation. Your worst lab grade will be dropped
from your lab average and your worst homework grade will be dropped from your
homework average. There will be no final exam in this course. Letter grades will be
determined from numerical grades as follows. A: 90-100; B: 80-89; C: 70-79; D: 60-69;
F: 0-59. Plus or minus grades may be assigned in a manner consistent with standard
University practice. A grade of I will not be given to avoid a grade of F or to give
additional study time. Failure to process a course drop will result in a course grade of F.
Labs
This lab meets for 1.5 hours every week. Labs may be able to be completed in class, or
you may have to finish your lab report outside of class. Lab reports are due the
following lab period at the beginning of class. Typed reports are to be submitted. Labs
are worth 70% of your final grade. Your worst lab will be dropped from your lab
average. A missed lab will act as your worst lab. The instructor and teaching assistants
are available during office hours or by appointment to assist with questions or problems.
Please make sure you bring any computer files with you when you arrange to meet.
Homework
There will be homework preceding each of the labs based on reading material assigned
a few days before the lab. Homework is worth 20% of your final grade. Your worst
homework will be dropped from your homework average. A missed homework will act
as your worst homework.
Class
Participation
and
Attendance
10% of your lab grade will be based on attendance and participation. Parts of the labs
will require class participation. You are encouraged to participate in the lab. Parts of the
labs are self-directed work. Students are encouraged to discuss things or ask questions
during these sections of the labs.
MAP 2480 Syllabus – Spring 2008
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Course Information
Exam Policy
Makeup homework and labs will not be given. Late homework and lab reports will not
be accepted. A missed homework or lab report may be excused if the student presents
sufficient verifiable evidence of acceptable extenuating circumstances. If a lab absence
is excused, then the missed lab will need to be completed as soon as possible as agreed
upon between the student and instructor. An unexcused absence from a lab or
homework will result in a grade of zero. Absences from labs due to family social events
will not be excused. Acceptable medical excuses must state explicitly that the student
should be excused from class.
Attendance
You are required to attend every laboratory. A student absent from a lab bears the full
responsibility for all subject matter and procedural information discussed in class.
Missed classes will affect your participation grade.
Courtesy
You are expected to get to class on time. As the lab work will be self-paced, you can
leave class when you have finished the lab and submitted your report. Try not to disturb
others when leaving.
Math Help
Center
The Math Help Center is located in 110 MCH (Milton Carothers Hall) next door to the
Love Building. The hours of operation will be announced when they are available.
Honor Code
A copy of the University Academic Honor Code can be found in the current Student
Handbook. You are bound by this code in all of your academic work. It is based on the
premise that each student has the responsibility 1) to uphold the highest standards of
academic integrity in the student's own work, 2) to refuse to tolerate violations of
academic integrity in the University community, and 3) to foster a high sense of
integrity and social responsibility on the part of the University community. Specifically,
incidents of plagiarism of any type or referring to any unauthorized material during
examinations will be rigorously pursued. Before submitting any work for this class,
please read the Academic Honor System in its entirety (as found in the FSU General
Bulletin and in the FSU Student Handbook) and ask me to clarify any of its expectations
that you do not understand. You have successfully completed many mathematics
courses and know that on a "test" you may not give or receive any help from a person or
written material except as specifically designed acceptable. Out of class you are
encouraged to work together on assignments but plagiarizing the work of others or study
manuals is academically dishonest.
ADA
statement
Students with disabilities needing academic accommodations should: 1) register with
and provide documentation to the Student Disability Resource Center (SDRC); 2) bring
a letter to the instructor from SDRC indicating you need academic accommodations.
This should be done within the first week of class. This and other class materials are
available in alternative format upon request.
Copyright 2008 by Monica K. Hurdal. All rights reserved.
MAP 2480 Syllabus – Spring 2008
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